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Kato Fujiwara Nikri

Having used a Shig 180 nakiri for some time, I couldn't resist buying a kato/Fujiwara 180 from Japanese Natural Stones to try side by side with it. I was pretty pleased with the Kato until today when I set up my stones on the patio to give it a touch up. About 2-inches back from the point a large chunk of edge, maybe an 1/8-inch long was missing. I haven't used this knife for anything besides vegetables and boneless cuts of meat so I'm at a loss as to why this happened. Honed too thin on my part for the toughness of the steel? It seems like all knives "bang" lightly into metal objects and china around the kitchen occasionally so that also might be the problem but normally that only results in a very small ding that is easily sharpened out. This is going to take me a while on a coarse stone. I guess the edge should be a bit stronger when I finish as it is going to be backed off a fair amount on the blade. My Shig has picked up a ding once in a while but noting like this chip.

I went through a similar situation a few years ago with a Carter knife and was told it was the nature of the heat treat to be a little fragile at the edge at first. Murray said to just sharpen the dings out and work my way back into thicker steel. Seems to have worked but I wonder how that would go over with someone less fanatical about sharpening stones and doing their own honing than I am.

Too late. I did discover that a 500 grit Beston will take out a serious chip like that a lot faster than I expected. Maybe 10-15 minutes work followed by a 1000 grit and a 3000 grit stone. The knife is ready to go back to work now. Time will tell if the edge will hold up under my normal use from here on out.

I had more chipping with my Kato gyuto than I normally experience, after a few sharpenings/touch ups they haven't come back. Like Murray told you, just gotta get back into some thicker steel, even if it's just .001 thicker, can make all the difference in the world.

Thanks for Sharing
And yeah now you did sharpen it up it will hole to more then before, you need to discover your self how much you will like it to hold up to.
It is hardened much harder then any other knives maybe to hard for some people. I like it thought it get max sharpness out of that knife and thats what Kato all about

Originally Posted by Noodle Soup

Too late. I did discover that a 500 grit Beston will take out a serious chip like that a lot faster than I expected. Maybe 10-15 minutes work followed by a 1000 grit and a 3000 grit stone. The knife is ready to go back to work now. Time will tell if the edge will hold up under my normal use from here on out.

I've looked very closely at mine and when honed to a certain level, the edge develops very very small (need 10-20x magnification to see) microchips all along it. I've never seen anything like it; I figured that's why it always feels so aggressive / toothy all the time and why I doesn't do a very good job shaving, push-cutting tissue paper or other non-practical tests that need a more polished edge.

Only fanatics need apply for the Kato experience. It is like a graduate degree in knife ownership.

A chip in a Kato is like when Arnold Schwartzenegger gets shot in the shoulder in an action film. Sure he is 'injured' but he still kicks a$$ left and right until the battle is won.

Lol, you have to shoot him a few times just to kinda wake'm up and get'm going... but once he's up to full speed, he's an unstoppable, violent, not fully comprehensible, and fairly hilarious force.... yes, just like a kato. Good analogy.

I'm probably not the only one here that sharpens damaged edge knives for friends. From past experience, a lot of people would think this knife was beyond repair and very possibly toss it. Like I said, about 15 minutes on a 500 grit Beston fixed it right up. Kind of surprised me how easily that stone removed the chip.